Thursday, December 28, 2006

"Poor oral health remains a neglected epidemic in West Virginia, especially among low-income children and adults.

West Virginia leads the nation in the percentage of senior adults with total tooth loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control. West Virginia also has one of the lowest percentages of people who visit a dentist at least once a year.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

"despite intense public information campaigns, widespread water fluoridation programs, and improved dental health products, there are some very sobering statistics regarding our failure to properly prevent common dental problems like cavities and gum disease. Here are a few statistics compiled by the CDC:

* Nearly 1 in 4 adults over the age of 60 have lost all of their natural teeth * Nine in ten adults has tooth decay over the age of 40 * 1 in 4 children under the age of five already has a cavity * 1 in 2 children aged 6-18 have at least one cavity-for those that do have cavities and also live below the poverty line-only half get treatment * Upwards of 15% of adults are believed to have advanced gum disease"

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

"A lot of people are going 'south of the border' to find affordable dental care. One city in Baja, California has tripled the number of dentists in the last 10 years, with more than 350 dentists practicing, all within 10 minutes walking distance from the border.

Some say dental work there is far less expensive than here in the U.S."

2/3 of US public water supplies are fluoridated and so is virtually 100% of the food supply:

"The Center for Disease Control and Prevention compared the dental health of Americans from two periods: 1988-1994 and 1999-2002. The result: a 15.2 percent increase in cavities among 2- to 5-year-olds. More research shows that nearly one-third of toddlers with tooth decay used sippy cups"

Sunday, December 17, 2006

"In [fluoridated] Connecticut, and across the country, only about one-third of low-income children get the regular dental care they need to prevent tooth decay and its consequences. It's even harder for poor adults to find a dentist."

Monday, December 11, 2006

The only practicing physician in the state legislature has asked hundreds of water districts to stop adding fluoride to drinking water, citing recommendations from the American Dental Association that moms avoid using tap water to mix baby formula."